Ethiopia returns to her senses on the Gay issue

The last two months have seen an escalation of anti-gay rhetoric in the Ethiopian media.

Local anti-gay activists, who are thought to be funded by American Christian fundamentalists, stepped up their activities after the controversial tweet by a senior official two months ago. The tweet by the Minister of Youth, Women and Children, denouncing Uganda’s recent anti-gay legislation – which she later retracted with a vague and unconvincing claims of “hacking”. Later, she deleted her twitter account all together.

The incident apparently emboldened anti-gay activism which has been low-key for about four years, besides to the seldom alarmist news and articles on local papers.

Days after the controversial tweet, however, a youth group, affiliated to the ruling party, and a religious grouping, under the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, jointly announced their plan to hold an anti-gay rally in the capital city at an undisclosed date.

For once, nothing made sense.

In fact, at the time, I was bold enough to tell two correspondents of western media (from Reuters and Radio France International) that the planned anti-gay rally won’t take place.

My logic was simple: Ethiopia has already got a Crime Code that punishes same-sex practice of two consenting adults with up to three years imprisonment. Though, the law enforcement agencies largely ignored such cases. Where there is an aggravating ground – involving a child or rape or coercion, etc. – the punishment could reach up to fifteen years of imprisonment. In those circumstances, even foreign NGOs were not spared from the prosecution.

So, why would the government wish to stir emotions? Especially a public demonstration will put the government in a difficult situation of having to launch a witch-hunt or be accused of leniency. Not to forget that, in a highly conservative country like Ethiopia, one can have any sort of anti-gay legislation passed without having to agitate the public. Read more from hornaffairs

Apparently, the Ethiopian people including some Ethiopian Americans in general aren’t educated or smart enough to understand the fundamental freedom of humans to practice their sexualities among themselves. I don’t care if are homosexual as long as they do their business behind doors. Now, remember we have a constitution that states the separation of church & state in Ethiopia so don’t bring in your religious sentiment when analyzing these issues. Whether you believe in the guy in the sky is up to you, but prosecuting people for being born with certain genetic condition is flat out idiocy.

Aite Berhane, who the hell are you man? For me, you sound a gay, a ill and sick man in your head? It make sense for you now? It is bastards like you who are promoting gay sex tourism in our country? The government cancelled because it does not want to lose the money it gets from gay sex tourism. Berhane, Aka Sodom gay, you will burn in hell one day. You are a pervert, physcologically ill, mentally disturbed. people like you must be purged from Ethioppia, lksks ,warda

Dave, the picture is disgusting please. Please remove the picture at least. We do not have to be forced to assimilate exotic human behavior to look like others. This is not civilization, this is going back beyond the creation; Human history never accepted this as a good way of life. Every culture, society, … from the beginning of time. Is the type of freedom woyane fought to bring into Ethiopia? gay sex tourism ? what the heck is wrong this people ? Shame

It is good that the church itself requested for cancelation of this “anti-gay” march. It is a realization of the difference between those who are (Jezebel/leviathan) demonized, gays who wish for a difference and the bisexual sociopaths who litterally are poised to make a killing out of any noise (pro or con) related to the gay issue. It is a good heads up to the underground church, that it is now
familiar with those fanning the flames, from both sides to a dialectic synthesis. There are no “american fundamentalists” nor innocent advocates. They are all highly trained and artificially positioned by the same house to create the same end effect.
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IMO, what the government of ethiopia allong with the religious institutions need to do is save the youth from the culture/environment of addiction and decadence. My bet is the gov’t officials chidren are as much, if not more exposed and fall victim to the multiple bondages that are prevalent in finfine.

As indicated in the article same sex relationship is punishable under Ethiopian law. Both Christians and Muslims condemn such relations, for many many years. What is the point of having a demonstration then? Who is going to demonstrate? Again those unfortunate 10,000 Addis Ababa street children?
We have real serious problems in our country, the first being to feed 90 million people and to provide them clean drinking water. 80% of the population lives in rural areas, in the poorest conditions ever, working each and every day to just to have one proper meal per day. Our attention should be directed to them. If possible, we should demonstrate and ask our parliamentarians /government officials until all our brothers and sisters will get food and clean water. In my opinion, this should be our goal, this us the priority- food for all.

It is a surprise the ambassador hasn’t turned limp wristed after years of paper pushing in DC. Why doesn’t the embassy move to more Ethiopia relevant regions of the United States with a skeletal group remaining in DC? What is there in the east coast than political air and cultural filth?
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I see the Midwest followed by the South West as more relevant states to the path Ethiopia is charting. Ethiopia can’t get to create 2 million jobs a year by ignoring, and as it has been the habit of half-baked intelecfuals of recent, jabbing a 14trillion economy that consumes 10trillion a year. It is simply impossible to do! just because EPRDF is not structured to play the game doesn’t invalidate that their is indeed a big game in mid and south west America.
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I wish there is more of a discussion of relocating the embassy to the Midwest rather than the filth that comes out of extended stay in the
paper shuffling east.

Dear Daniel Berhane,
You make interesting comments.You say,
1/ “Local anti-gay activists, who are thought to be funded by American Christian fundamentalists.” Of course, you have no evidence for that. You also did not explain how those “fundamentalists” organized Orthodox Christians.
2/ You said you predicted “the planned anti-gay rally won’t take place.” Why should surprise anyone when it is a fact you are working for the government?

That is why I said you make interesting comments; that is, you just lied and didn’t know you lied. I suggest you check the article below sent to me by Asrat.

I think this government will go sooner or later. Apart from development talk shows, the regime seems against the countries social fiber in all avenue. The government hates Ethiopian history. The government loves to deny the country access to the sea. The government does not trust citizens. The government welcomes alien and exotic cultures into the country. I have to conclude, the government and the people diametrically opposite now. The government does not like what the people like. Now this is a matter of time, these government dying by itself. EPRDF has become a delusional government and a government that has failed to understand wrong and right. Never mind,the day of reckoning will come sooner or later. Oppressing people will only serve for a limited time frame. Imposing alien, exotic,harmful foreign culture on Ethiopian people is tantamount to digging your own grave. It is apparent now the regime has detached itself from the Ethiopian people. The regime has fallen in love with money, all kind of sex economy and has abandoned all Ethiopian norms for money. We remember the PM HD was shipping teen girls for sex trade to Saudi Arabia recently. He is a protest Christian who God is money and sex.

EPRDF may think now they are insurmountable and they can dictate Ethiopia population to deep immorality, but Albert Einstein said, God does not play dice? There is nothing hidden to the man above and EPRDF iniquity,insanity will be struck by divine wrath.But for the fools they may feel they are above all forces of nature. By the way, the youth minister is a paedophile Ethiopian lesbian hiding herself as normal human but she is a decayed human vestige. But we wonder where did the TPLF learn Sodomy? Ezana Solomon, sounds a Tigrean Gay activist? Daniel Berhane sounds a Tigrean gay activist? It sounds Tigrai has become the epicenter of gay or sodomy activism? Did TPLF develop the same sex during the so called struggled ? how did the woyane struggle decay to this human vestiginess?

I am not against Gay rights but you find some society is not ready for this.Let me remind you all it took a long time to regognize Gay rights in America.Its should not be an issue you impose on Foreign culture.Take Russia during(Sochi Olompic) Uganda,now Ethiopia.This nations are extremely conservative society.Change need to occur from within the society not by western threat of sanction.

After now Ethiopian people must take the law into their hand and protect their country. We have no government, what we have are Worebeloch, bandoch,… They have nothing to offer to the country than to defile it , sell its land, sells its people and do all kind of business. I think they are right because we are not able to stop them from selling the country. They are selling everything: land, people, sex(pussy) and sex(their dirty hole ). Apparently EPRDF has become the most criminal government Ethiopia ever had. The people must rise up now and remove this illegitimate, rkash and rotten regime.

The saying wraps it all: ‘those who live in glass houses don’t throw stones.’ Hailemariam Desalegn and his TPLF overseers fully understand that they may not be any cleaner than these same gay people they are persecuting after all. Theirs is a regime whose foundation was built on what is called the ‘Principle of conformity’—that coerces people into denying the truth and saying things that are patently false but politically correct, at least within the prism of EPRDF’S Revolutionary Democracy. Theirs is a regime that has put our nation into spiraling debt, exponentially high unemployment, chronic Foreign Aid dependence, suffocation of the private investment and dwindling hope among our youth. This persecution of people because of their sexual orientation could only be seen in the same lens as the notion of Islamic fanatics who swear to kill any one associated with the West because they came to believe that since the Islamists know their way of life is incompatible with that of the West and since Allah wants them to die while killing the ‘Infidels’, they are ready to commit unfathomable stretches of violence against Westerners. Who is pastor Hailemariam Desalegn or Shekh Abadula Gemeda to judge these people on earth for committing Sodomy? How clean are those in the highest chair of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church or even the Catholic Church to judge these people? History is crystal clear that the former was complicit to Menelik crimes against Oromos at the height of The Ethiopian Empire Formation and the latter provided massive support to the Nazis in their extermination efforts against the Jews. I am just sensing that if the TPLF handpicked leader of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is too worried about these ‘insane people’ in their way to hell because of their sexual preference, my message to him is this: when that time for them to answer a question for their ‘unforgivable sins’ comes, they might not need you as an interpreter, and could be capable of answering their charges.

Hey Barny frank! Why are you selectively attacking southern leaders exclusively? Also last I heard, Aba dulla is a Christian so the sheik honorific is an emotional distortion. I am also baffled why you are so besides yourself and upset that the government canceled the “anti-gay” rally and demolished the agitative bill of “no pardon” and yet come as one concerned for the gay people in Ethiopia? There is a thinking straight problem here unless there was secondary motive behind the march. If you would have been so concerned about the standard of living of the people we would have read your reply on economic issues. As it is your accusation seems to come as a package for spite and vindictiveness against religious institutions, oromo and southern officials.
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Fact is GDP to debt ratio was .97 in 1991. It is now at .47. Debt management is the relative strength of EPRDF. Corruption and inflation is high. Relative to the previous generations, this generation is so materialistic and spoilt wants everything without sacrifice. Like homosexuality the youth dissatisfaction can just as well be an acquired trait passed on from overbearing, dissatisfied and willful mothers. As to persecution…please, homosexuals are amongst the highest self persecuting group on earth. Just visit the abused women shelters in the US and find the disproportionate number of lesbian on lesbian persecution and violence. Of course many many other ills that correlate with this mostly acquired behavior.

Hey Barny frank! Why are you selectively attacking southern leaders exclusively? Also last I heard, Aba dulla is a Christian so the sheik honorific is an emotional distortion. I am also baffled why you are so besides yourself and upset that the government canceled the “anti-gay” rally and demolished the agitative bill of “no pardon” and yet come as one concerned for the gay people in Ethiopia? There is a thinking straight problem here unless there was secondary motive behind the march. If you would have been so concerned about the standard of living of the people we would have read your reply on economic issues. As it is your accusation seems to come as a package for spite and vindictiveness against religious institutions, oromo and southern officials.
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Fact is GDP to debt ratio was .97 in 1991. It is now at .47. Debt management is the relative strength of EPRDF. Corruption and inflation is high. Relative to the previous generations, this generation is so materialistic and spoilt wants everything without sacrifice. Like homosexuality the youth dissatisfaction can just as well be an acquired trait passed on from overbearing, dissatisfied and willful mothers. As to persecution…please, homosexuals are amongst the highest self persecuting group on earth. Just visit the abused women shelters in the US and find the disproportionate number of lesbian on lesbian persecution and violence. Of course many many other ills that correlate with this mostly acquired behavior.

Wey gud… zendro ena nuro, this people are crazy, how can one support Its owen distraction? I mean If niggers fuck together and bitches fuck together, there wont be next generation, hell even Ray charles can see that, I dont know how them sivilized countries can`t see that, and Ethiopia will accept anything the West accept, thats fucked up.

Ethiopia has a lot of other burning issues and serious challenges it has to overcome mainly poverty and national unity. Gay is the problem of the west and USAID. For any society to flourish and to continue in its existence, it has to have a reproductive family structure. Gay and lesbians can not make babies but destroys society.

USAID=GAY=GENOCIDE=ENGINEERED SOCIETY CLEANSING.

WE MUST WORK TO BE SELF RELIANT AND STOP TALKING GAY, IT IS THE WESTS DEMONIC PROBLEM.

ETHIOPIA IS A LAND FOR A TRUE CHILD BEARING FAMILY.
GOD BLESS ETHIOPIA

Mr Tn,
It seems your comments were directed at me, though you kind of tried to smear me as a white man. I would shrug of that part of your framing for now and directly head to your points. Please note that this response to you on this issue is final. You claimed that my comments were aimed at Southern officials and Oromos. If Oromos were mentioned in my comments, they were mentioned as victims and not culprits, and I have now clue why you attempt to milk something out of this by attempting to play an Oromo card. As to South, my point is it has never been a Govt or religious duty to judge people based on their sexual preference, and I do fully stand by this point, regardless of if or not TPLF pawn, Hailemariam Desalegn, felt offended. As to your claim of the nation’s GDP to debt ratio improving under EPRDF, First, I absolutely reject any figure you provided because it certainly came from your Govt which holds all financial institutions in the country in its pocket as its own property; Second, if anything, Ethiopians expect their Govt to completely solve a problem as sound as debt and not manage it; and third, truth be told, thanks to your dear EPRDF, Ethiopia has now become one of the Highly Indebted Poor Country in sub-Saharan Africa that earmarks about 40% of its annual budget on servicing Foreign debt. To your credit, you mentioned inflation is so high and corruption so rampant. On top of this though, Ethiopia under EPRDF becomes a nation with big Govt, massive spending, skyrocketing debt, dwindling private Investment and intentionally erected red tape meant to discourage non-EPRDF Investors from running business in the country. This surely means EPRDF successors will face a daunting task of either radically slashing public services, including military spending, or enact unprecedented tax increases, which for sure, Ethiopians would not afford. And finally, as a result of your dear EPRDF ruling it, anyone under the sun can see that Ethiopia has descended into an abyss of pro-China Communist dictatorship, where dissent and divergent views are punished without any bounds of reason and dictators are praised in the halls of the National Assembly just because they had the ability to lie with an apparent sincerity—which of course was forced down the throat of anyone in the country as a ‘vision of a great leader’.

Mr Tn,
It seems your comments were directed at me, though you kind of tried to smear me as a white man. I would shrug off that part of your framing me for now and directly head to your points. Please note that this response to you on this issue is final. You claimed that my comments were aimed at Southern officials and Oromos. If Oromos were mentioned in my comments, they were mentioned as victims and not culprits, and I have no clue why you labour to milk something out of this by attempting to play an Oromo card. As to South, my point is it has never been a Govt or religious duty to judge people based on their sexual preference, and I do fully stand by this point, regardless of if or not TPLF pawn, Hailemariam Desalegn, felt offended. As to your claim of the nation’s GDP to debt ratio improving under EPRDF, First, I absolutely reject any figure you provided because it certainly came from your Govt which holds all financial institutions in the country in its pocket as its own property; Second, if anything, Ethiopians expect their Govt to completely solve a problem as sound as public debt and not manage it; and third, truth be told, thanks to your dear EPRDF, Ethiopia has now become one of the Highly Indebted Poor Countries in sub-Saharan Africa that earmarks about 40% of its annual budget on servicing Foreign debt. To your credit, you correctly mentioned inflation is so high and corruption so rampant under the rulership of your friends from Dedebit. On top of this though, Ethiopia under EPRDF becomes a nation with very big Govt, massive spending, skyrocketing debt, dwindling private Investment and intentionally erected red tape meant to discourage non-EPRDF Investors from running business in the country. This surely means EPRDF successors will face a daunting task of either radically slashing public services—including military spending, or enact unprecedented tax increases, which for sure, Ethiopians would not afford. And finally, as a result of your dear EPRDF ruling it, anyone under the sun can see that Ethiopia has descended into an abyss of pro-China Communist dictatorship, where dissent and divergent views are punished without any bounds of reason and dictators are praised in the halls of the National Assembly just because they had the ability to lie with an apparent sincerity—which of course was forced down the throat of anyone in the country as a ‘vision of a great leader’.

Ato tatek, I have seen all the political sides. EPRDF is the only one that is in the center of the spectrum. MEDREK also is close second but it is structurally weak but a build up is possible. The rest are perhaps 3rd and 4th level special interest groups.
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Look the number I gave you was actually much higher just in case you have doubts about GDP. DEBT to GDP is in the 20s not in the 40s. Was 1 to 1 in the 90s.
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I pushed for china long before seyoum mesfin was sent there. The
results speak for themselves. Chinas proximity to our technology level and that it is a one stop shop solution to most problems. The fault might be that they see china as a panacea. I agree with Gulele above and his suggestion of targeting core US states and industry
clusters in the mid-west. Minnesota/SD/Iowa/Wisconsin for ag. Of all
kinds including BOP possible machinery. As a secondary, Michigan ohio for manufacturing (more as a knowledge centers and future
customers). The DC attachment is not delivering much to Ethiopia.

Romans 1:27
and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Sodomy

We got the sense ur soul Daniel Birhane. U r simply brainwashed bygot. ur attempts to spotlight the verity of the condemened one & truly the gospel of devil which is certainly nothing but the pestilence that is unleashed by ur western masters to dehumanise our decent society & to destroy our culture & values for the obvious alleged reason that people must reach to the level of moral decay as desired to ensure absolute compliance /obedience of society to the murky rehtoric of solitary global zionist order under the pretext of democracy & human right. It issssss…..indeed fortold by the hoolybooks 1000s of years before and we are well aware of ur agenda & the trails of ur evil acts have long been.comming in to our sight.

Noting worth is, despite the fact that such behaviour is conclusively unnatural through out the entire mamal species, and yet , u & ur western sponsors sadly do little or no equivalent efforts to halt or controll the spread of such pestilence (i don’t want to call it by its widely known name) as you relentlessly do to promote it accross the world.

We’ll it’s sad even to give them coverage one thing god never forgive this sin act what people care it’s not even blow yourself yourself like sucide bomber what really matter is preaching this act to young people before even they reach to the age of 18-25
When they are this age they exactly know what’s good or bad.

The nation should not allow this devil act.
If their father or mother were like them they could’t even have been in this world.

In afar region there is 24/7 boiling volcano pack all of them and dump them there god will forgive us.balegen kasadegew yegedelew stedeke.

In the bible in Noah time god punish them by flood and wipe them out

The government should leave this issue to the religion leaders and to the people so by doing that it’ will protect the country interest from amnesty interferance.

If this people doesn’behave the people they will take the law in their own hand..

Instead of promoting productive ideas to extract us from the poverty & backwardness that we are in,our journalist are busy repeating the propaganda of those who want us to live in darkness for eternity! The CPJ, the international water …, amnesty inter…, HRW.INGO… Are there to protect their interests under different agendas! The pestilence this guy trying to spread in our web sight is the most destructive or pernicious western culture ever! Therefore, we must protect our country from these kind of pernicious act in all our power!

Ethiopia’s criminal law must be reviewed to accomodiate & provide more punitive action against the criminal acts of “sodomy”. This must not be viewd as an issue of “right” & such devilish act can only be detered by the right choice & true application of strong legal remedies such as death sentence, if neccessary.

Ethiopia’s criminal law must be reviewed to accomodiate & provide more punitive action against the criminal acts of “sodomy”. This must not be viewd as an issue of “right” rather as the mescarriage of justs & such devilish act can only be detered by the right choice & true application of strong legal remedies such as death sentence, if neccessary.

I just wanna leave a comment regarding your website. First, congrats for developing a professional looking website. Second, i see two issues: the logo is too large and you have a horizontal scroll bag, which very very annoying. You can easily lose viewers. Try to reduce the size of your logo and put it next to the sandwich button, or keep it where is and put a search button to the very left of the sandwich button. Regardless, reduce the size of your logo.
Just an observation, nothing more.